The Palisades and Eaton area of ​​California, which has been burning since January 7, is still out of control. The fire became one of the most devastating events in United States history. The fires have killed at least 27 people so far, put millions at risk of air pollution, and initial damage estimates are in the billions of dollars.

So far, more than 200,000 people have been displaced and nearly 15,000 structures have been destroyed. 

The state of California is hit by wildfires almost every year. However, this year's drought has been accompanied by a 100-mile-per-hour hurricane, Santa Ana, which has caused wildfires to spiral out of control and become catastrophic. The 2018 Campfire fires are considered the most destructive in history, based on structure destruction, the fire destroyed more than 18,000 structures, most of which were residential homes. Also, the fire killed 85 people, making it the deadliest fire in the state's history.

The August 2020 complex wildfire is the largest wildfire in California history by area. The fire, known as the Gigafire, spread over 1 million acres and destroyed 935 structures. According to the report, such large fires are gradually becoming more common in California. California wildfires have grown eightfold since the 1970s, and the area burned annually has increased by nearly 500 percent. 

The mechanism of fighting the fire of a powerful and technological nation like America, which seems to be relatively strong in the preparation and management of the disaster, was not effective. While California is a wildfire-prone place. Some places in California are considered to be aware of 'fire season' throughout the year.

However, there is no consensus on the cause of such a devastating fire. Most experts' analysis states that climate change and unscientific land use systems and poor management of resources are the root causes of the California wildfires. As droughts occur, vegetation dries out and becomes fuel for fires, and as droughts lengthen, fire risk increases. 

California's fire wave is spreading more rapidly around the world. This has opened the door to the debate on how to avoid fire disasters that can occur anywhere in the future, and what are the preparations for the dry season fires and forest fires that start with the end of winter in a country with multi-disaster risks like Nepal? What has been learned from past events and how to move forward in the future seems necessary. 

The California wildfires have clearly exposed the risks and challenges posed by climate change. In a country like Nepal that is at high risk of climate change, fire is considered a major disaster in terms of the number of incidents and damage, so special sensitivity is needed. Negligence in the management of forest areas, human activities like urban encroachment have made the crisis more complicated.

Despite advanced technology and early warning systems in California, the devastation there has exposed the limitations of nations' ability to deal with climate-induced disasters. There is no doubt that in a geographically risky country like Nepal, with limited resources and technology and poor management, if sensitivity and vigilance are not shown from the community level, fire can take a serious form in economic, biological and human damage. Therefore, it seems that long-term strategy and community preparation should be prioritized.

Fire in Nepal has become a destructive disaster that repeats every year. According to the National Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the annual rate of fire incidents has increased almost four times in the last decade. In 2070/071, 968 fire incidents were registered across the country, while in the last one year there were 3,814 incidents.

There have been 20,518 fire incidents throughout the last decade due to fires and forest fires in Nepal, especially during the dry season of March-May. During this period, 795 people died and 2,742 people were injured. Various reports show that the total damage from the fire is estimated at 22 billion 1687 million rupees. 

According to the Weather Forecasting Division, last year, due to long drought, temperature increase, fires spread across the country. As a result, there was a wave of hot air in the Terai region, the atmosphere was polluted, and respiratory diseases increased. We had no choice but to wait for the rain to control the fire. 

The risk of fire is increasing in Nepal

Nepal has not experienced devastating fires like California, but here the risk of fire is increasing rapidly. Forest fires in Nepal are mainly due to the combined effects of human negligence and climate change. Rising temperatures and prolonged dry weather have emerged as major factors. In recent years, especially during the pre-monsoon, the country has seen a significant increase in the incidence of wildfires, which makes dry vegetation highly flammable. 

In 2024, there was a significant increase in fire incidents in Nepal, especially forest fires, causing huge human and economic losses. According to various media reports, as of June 21, 2024, 5,125 wildfires had been reported across the country, the second highest number since record keeping began in 2002. From April 14, 2023 to April 3, 2024, 102 people lost their lives due to fires.

Nepal's mountainous geography and difficult access to vulnerable areas have made fire control even more challenging. Also, the problem is exacerbated by limited resources, lack of early warning systems and lack of community awareness.

Lessons from California for Nepal

1. Community Preparedness and Awareness Raising

The California wildfires have exposed the weaknesses of community-based disaster preparedness and management. There were reports that the rescue and rehabilitation work was not going to be easy, especially in high-risk areas with a predominance of poor and black people. Similar problems are evident in Nepal after floods, landslides and fires. Poor and marginalized communities are the most affected by disasters. This shows the need for community-based preparedness. 

Nepal can play an effective role in disaster mitigation if it can spread awareness about fire prevention and safety measures at the community level and implement a community-based fire management program.

2. Strengthening firefighting capacity

California firefighters are equipped with modern equipment and advanced training, while some local units in Nepal are suffering from a lack of adequate firefighting equipment. Nepal should also focus on training fire fighters and providing them with the necessary equipment. More effective fire control can be achieved by developing a network of volunteer firefighters in rural areas. For this, it is essential to spread public awareness, provide training, establish an effective early warning system and ensure access to immediate management and rehabilitation after a disaster.

3. Implementation of Land Use Planning and Policy

Urban encroachment in California appears to have increased the risk of wildfires, destroying not only forests but also surrounding cities, settlements, and man-made structures. This is an important lesson for countries like Nepal. Most of Nepal's development, construction and infrastructure are concentrated in areas that are at high risk of natural disasters such as floods, landslides and wildfires. As a result of this, every year huge financial losses are incurred due to natural calamities.

To address this challenge, it seems necessary for the government to create a land use plan and implement policies that prevent urbanization in high-risk areas. In addition, it is also essential to develop infrastructure in accordance with standards that facilitate rescue while taking into account the disaster risk in the urban development plan.

4. Integrating climate adaptation strategies

California's wildfires are a vivid example of the rapid impact of climate change. Nepal is already in the grip of multi-faceted disasters due to changing weather processes, rising temperatures and frequent natural disasters. With erratic weather, melting glaciers and prolonged drought, monsoon rains have increased the risk of floods and fires in Nepal.

To minimize and deal with the effects of climate change, priority should be given to sustainable agriculture, forest management, water resource protection, and sustainable development and infrastructure construction in accordance with geographical and geological conditions. It is imperative to start implementing adaptation strategies to avoid future regrets.

5. Use of Early Warning Systems and Technology

California uses state-of-the-art technology such as satellite imagery and drones to detect and monitor wildfires. Nepal can also develop its own early warning system through international partnerships and adopt such technology.

California's wildfires are a catastrophic disaster caused by climate change and poor land management. It caused huge financial losses, which proved to be very expensive for the communities directly affected and for a prosperous country.

Even though the size of the fires in California is bigger than that of Nepal, the risk of fires in Nepal cannot be underestimated. Nepal's rich biodiversity and forests are invaluable assets, which need to be conserved. Learning from California's experience, Nepal can develop a proactive and sustainable approach to wildfire prevention and management.